One of the most effective ways to treat and prevent flat feet in children is the use of massage orthopedic mats. They are now easy to purchase in a special store or you can make them yourself.
An orthopedic mat for children against flat feet is what orthopedists recommend to parents first of all when they detect signs of foot deformation. Regular exercises on it help stop the progression of the disease and restore foot function. Healthy children also need such devices to prevent any diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
This product is a track or mat on which small elements are attached, different in texture and rigidity. They protrude above the surface of the mat and, when walking on them, have a massage effect on the foot. These elements can be in the form of sticks, pebbles, geometric shapes or carpet pile. They can be hard or soft.
The most popular is an orthopedic mat in the form of separate blocks that need to be assembled like a puzzle. You can use them to make a small rug or a runner from the bathroom to the children's room.
Treatment of flat feet in children with the help of such a device prevents the development of foot deformities, as it promotes muscle relaxation and the formation of a correct arch. It is recommended to start practicing on a mat with a baby who has just started walking. In this case, it is enough to stomp on it for a few minutes. For older children, it is better to organize activities in the form of a game. Teens and adults can use it indefinitely, for example, place it near the bed or under the table.
This massage mat is used for the treatment and prevention of flat feet. It helps relieve fatigue and pain in the legs, and prevent complications of foot deformities. You don't need to learn complicated exercises to use it. It is enough to walk on it, run or just stomp your feet while sitting on a chair.
There are many biologically active points on the human foot. The impact on them has a beneficial effect on the condition of the whole organism. This massage is very useful for flat feet in children. Walking on an orthopedic mat has a positive effect:
Massaging the points on the sole helps strengthen the muscles and promotes the correct formation of the arches of the feet.
Now there are many types of such devices on sale. The most popular is the puzzle rug, consisting of individual elements. They can be fastened in a certain order, assembling a coating of any size. For children, this is not only a foot massage, but also an exciting activity. The convenience of such rugs is that they are soft, easy to wash, roll and store. They are made in bright colors, often with patterns. These children's rugs are made of rubber, high-quality plastic or silicone. If there are drawings of footprints on it, this additionally trains coordination of movements.
You can also purchase a one-component orthopedic mat. This product is a single fabric with pebbles, sticks, caps and other items sewn onto it.
Nowadays there are many different foot massage products on sale. To prevent flat feet, it is better for a child to purchase a puzzle mat. When choosing it, you need to pay attention to some points:
A puzzle mat for a child can serve not only for massage, but also for play
It is important to remember that for children such activities should take place in the form of a game. In order not to develop an aversion to the massage device, you should not force the child. He must choose the time to walk on the mat himself. To do this, you need to purchase a track that would arouse the baby’s interest.
For small children and in the first days of getting to know the product, just walking around for 5-10 minutes a day is enough. Then, for the treatment and prevention of flat feet, it is necessary to include special exercises.
This can be walking on the inner and outer edges of the foot, rolling from toes to heels, crossing steps, jumping and running, marking time in a half-squat. It is best if the exercises are recommended by a doctor, since each child develops flat feet individually.
You can simply walk on the massage mat or perform various exercises
Every mother can make such a device for the prevention and treatment of flat feet in a child with her own hands. This will be much cheaper than buying a new rug, since homemade models use items that are easy to find. To do this, you can take cereals, chestnuts, acorns, pebbles, bottle caps.
The most effective and attractive option for a child would be a combined rug. You can make a river, a bridge across it, grass, a fence, and various labyrinths from different materials. This will create a carpet for a children's room or long paths for transitions throughout the apartment.
The easiest way to make a massage mat is from bags of cereals. To do this, you need to sew fabric bags, fill them with different cereals and connect them together. Peas, beans, rice, buckwheat, and coarse salt are good fillers. The fabric should be such that the cereal does not spill out through the fibers of the fabric, but its massage effect can be felt.
Check out these DIY rug ideas:
Sea or river pebbles are best suited for making a rug. You can choose pebbles of different shapes and sizes, the main thing is that they are smooth. They are glued onto thick fabric or felt using a glue gun in any order. The baby will love it if it is done in the form of a drawing or geometric pattern.
This is the simplest version of an orthopedic mat for the treatment of flat feet. You need to take an old blanket and sew different buttons on it in random order. For this purpose, buttons without stems, with two or four holes, are used. They can be made of different materials, with a smooth or rough surface. But the main thing is that there are no sharp protruding elements.
Do-it-yourself mats are very effective for the prevention and treatment of flat feet.
By collecting caps from bottles of mineral water, you can make a simple and effective orthopedic mat for a child. They need to be glued with the bottom side onto a thick fabric. They can be of different colors, this is how beautiful patterns or designs are made. Your child will definitely love this unusual product.
Showing your imagination, you can use whatever you have at hand for a massage mat. Various items are sewn onto thick fabric, an old blanket or a thin rug in a random order or in accordance with an invented pattern: dish sponges with the soft or hard side up, large beads or curlers, pencils, bottle caps, pieces of fabric and fur. The main thing is that these objects cannot injure the child’s leg. It’s good when hard and soft elements alternate.
Such an orthopedic device alone cannot relieve a child of flat feet. Only a set of measures can correct the deformations. But an orthopedic mat is a great way to relieve tension, strengthen muscles and prevent complications.
Mat for flat feet
Massage is a way to strengthen muscles and improve the health of the body as a whole. When diagnosing flat feet and curvature of posture, massage is very important. That is why orthopedists recommend using a mat for flat feet as a preventive measure and treatment.
Flat feet is a serious disease that can only be treated before the age of 13. After the formation of the musculoskeletal system, the position of the deformed foot can only be changed through surgery.
Flat feet can be: longitudinal, transverse and combined.
Pathology can be of 2 types: congenital and acquired.
Regardless of the type of flatfoot, the symptoms of the disease are as follows:
The main reasons for the development of acquired pathology in a child are:
The lack of timely diagnosis in childhood leads to the fact that the adult patient suffers from other diseases. Flat feet of the first stage does not cause severe discomfort, however, if the following reasons are present, it can progress:
On the surface of the foot there are many biologically active points, through which you can influence the functioning of the body as a whole and each organ separately. An orthopedic mat allows you to gently influence all points, strengthen the body, improve blood and lymph flow, and relax muscles.
Doctors say that using an orthopedic massage mat, you can correct the position of the musculoskeletal system, restore spring, shock-absorbing, and balancing functions.
Product selection criteria
When purchasing mats for flat feet, you should choose a product that best suits the degree of development of the disease. Currently, therapeutic puzzles are made from various materials and are:
When purchasing orthopedic puzzles, it is necessary to take into account the age of the patient. To prevent pathology, it is better for an adult patient to pay attention to the impact elements of the rug, made of Altai birch. It is preferable to choose a mat for flat feet for a child under three years old made of rubber. Older children can use a silicone-based orthopedic puzzle.
Also, an important criterion when choosing a model is whether the preventive puzzle has the appropriate certificates, licenses, and quality assurance.
To strengthen the immune system, stimulate blood circulation, prevent and strengthen the arches of the feet, children need to regularly use an orthopedic mat.
When purchasing massage puzzles for the treatment and prevention of disease, you should pay attention to non-standard models, namely:
A hard orthopedic mat is used to correct posture, treat flat feet, and prevent various foot diseases. In order to achieve maximum results, you need to exercise on a mat for flat feet regularly.
This type of massage product is used as a therapeutic and preventive method for feet, as well as plano-valgus deformity. The product can be used by adults and children over 6 years old.
The principle of influence is based on the uneven contact of rubber posts of different heights. When the villi come into contact with the patient’s feet, the muscles perform a reflex contraction, which strengthens the ankle. In addition, acupressure helps prevent all organs.
Carpet with pebbles
The preventive path is made of wear-resistant fabric and plastic stones. The main purpose of the mat is the treatment and prevention of varicose veins and flat feet.
A path with pseudo-pebbles is prescribed when diagnosing:
Rug of stones
The path is made by attaching flat pebbles using environmentally friendly, safe glue on linen.
This type of carpeting is recommended for use in the presence of the following diseases:
Massage cloth with hedgehogs and half-rollers
Orthopedic mats are made from wood and natural fabric. Environmental friendliness and effectiveness contribute to the normalization of blood flow and maximum restoration of skeletal functions.
It is recommended to use for the treatment and prevention of foot pathologies, hallux valgus and varus deformities, improper load, and restoration of walking rhythm.
Orthopedic mat “Puzzles”
The massage mat is made of environmentally friendly anti-allergenic PVC material with high elasticity. It is recommended to use for correcting the arches of patients' feet and the correct formation of children's feet.
This type of product is used to tone the ankle muscles, correct arches, and massage reflexogenic points on the sole. Orthopedic “Puzzles” help improve blood flow and nutrition of the lower extremities.
We sew the rug ourselves
If you don’t have the time or money to purchase an orthopedic product, you can make such a mat yourself.
To make an orthopedic puzzle with your own hands, you can use the following materials:
Using plastic lids of different colors, you can lay out a picture on the mat, make an applique from various types of fabrics, sew small shaped bags for storing cereals from denser fabric, and lay out a bridge from flat pebbles.
Many unnecessary and simple little things can be beneficial, improve the health of the body, and strengthen the immune system.
Orthopedic massage mats, made by yourself or purchased in specialized stores, cannot completely replace treatment, but will be an excellent tool for the daily prevention, treatment and prevention of flat feet.